Child Support and Child Custody in Mesa: Understanding the Basics
It is the legal responsibility of parents to provide for their children financially. In the state of Arizona, there are strict rules that determine how child support will be calculated and awarded, and it is based on the finances of each parent. The formula helps to make things fair across the board for the parents, and it ensures that the children will receive the money they need from child support.
Working with a child support attorney, to get child support or child custody in Mesa, will help you to have a better understanding of how much you will need to pay or how much you will receive in child support. They can ensure that all of the information is being entered into the calculator and help to ensure that the rate is correct.
The Child Support Calculator
Arizona provides guidelines for child support and custody alike. It is important to keep in mind that gender does not factor into who pays the child support or how much they pay. It’s all calculated based on numbers only. This means that the person who has a higher income or who has a reduced role as a parent will be the one who is providing the money for child support.
In Arizona, child support is relatively standard. To determine the amount of support that will be provided by the noncustodial parent, certain information needs to be added to the calculator. When using the calculator, the children’s names and ages are added, as well as the amount of income earned by both of the parents. Other elements added to the calculator include the parenting time arrangement, health insurance costs, childcare costs, as well as any extra expenses for the kids.
There is a complete income assessment that includes income for both parents that come from all sources. This will determine the total obligation, as well as the obligation of each parent.
The courts also want to know how much time the child is spending with each parent. Parents who take on larger roles in their child’s life will often have a lower obligation. This is because it is assumed that they are spending more on the child since they are with the child more often.
Your Mesa child support lawyer can help you to understand how much you are obligated to pay. Since everything goes through the calculator, the amount that you will need to pay will be considered fair by the guidelines of the state. You shouldn’t have to worry about paying more than you can afford, but it does sometimes mean that you might have to cut back on certain other expenses in your life.
Enforcing Child Support
What happens in cases where there have been child support orders put in place by the court, but the parent is not paying? These issues are taken seriously by the courts, as it is considered a violation of the court order. The parent that is not paying, regardless of the reason, could face some serious legal issues. In some cases, there might be a lien put on their vehicle. Their driver’s license could be suspended, or their wages could be garnished. They will likely face fines, and in some cases, they may even end up going to jail.
If you are a parent that is not getting the child support needed for your child, you will want to get in touch with a child support attorney in Mesa. Often, it will just take a letter from an attorney to get your ex on track, so they start paying and make up for any missed payments. However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, they will still refuse to pay. In that case, the lawyer can help you get the money your children deserve.
For parents who find that they are unable to meet their obligation to pay child support, it’s also important to work with a Mesa child support lawyer. They can sometimes help you to get a settlement or modification of the obligation that will better meet your current finances. It’s not something you want to ignore, as it can have serious repercussions.
How Is Custody Determined?
Child custody cases can be difficult, and you don’t want to try to go into the fight on your own. Instead, you should make sure that you work with a qualified child custody attorney in Mesa.
Often, parents will have differing opinions when it comes to who should have custody of the children, and they may both firmly believe they have the children’s best interest in mind. In Arizona, the judge will consider a range of factors when determining child custody. Most of the time, they will want to provide a 50/50 split, which allows the parents to have equal parenting time with their kids.
Even in those cases, your Mesa child support lawyer will tell you that it doesn’t mean that no one pays child support. The parent who makes more money will still be required to pay if they have 50% custody of the kids. This is to ensure that the other parent has enough money to provide for the children while they are in that parent’s care.
Some of the factors that are considered when it comes to custody decisions in Arizona include the child’s relationship with the parents and anyone else who would affect the child’s best interest, the child and parents’ physical and mental health, domestic violence, child abuse, and more. In cases where the child is old enough and mature enough, the judge may also consider where the child says they want to live.
Work With the Best Mesa Child Support Lawyers and Custody Attorneys
Going through a divorce can be scary when you have children. You want the best for them, and you want to be sure that you know what is expected of you. Find a knowledgeable child support attorney in Mesa to help you calculate child support and to help with custody issues.
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